Sometimes, bands that write crazy music are made up of perfectly normal guys who are friendly, rational and down to earth. And some folks who write nutty music are just plain bonkers. The jury's still out on HORSE the Band, whose blend of videogame music, avant-jazz, hardcore and metal is so bizarre it's pure genius. As for the bandmembers, well... We thought we'd put keyboardist Erik Engstrom to the test by giving him a guest blog, and, after some especially intense shock treatment, here's what he came up with. It presents us with the perfect opportunity for us to state: the following thoughts and opinions do no necessarily coincide with those of the Headbangers Ball Blog, MTV, Viacom, or any mentally stable individual anywhere on this planet. Now, here's Eric.
Censorship, illegal downloading, war... whatever. It's all an afterthought.
What we face right now is the end of humanity as we know it, at the hands of technology. All the shit people are complaining about today will be the romantic memories of 100 years in the future (wars with explosives, funny presidents, terrorist attacks) That's the kind of s--t we literally live for. Who doesn't like to look back on the assassination of Lincoln with a glimmer in their eye, thinking about how cool that f---ing theater must have been. Who wishes the Civil War didn't happen? It was awesome and people died for a cause and something better came out of it. We re-enact that s--t. Humans will always struggle and some will always try to do right. Right? So far we are generally prevailing against ourselves. Right? Ha-ha, sure. But guess what, it doesn't matter. One thing we've never had is foresight, and right now we're backing ourselves into a hole that we'll never come out of.
The Singularity: the moment in time that an artificial intelligence is created that is more clever than the most clever human. Idiots like Ray Kurzweil look forward to this day. That is because they're f---ing dumb.
Let's think about it. In order for something to be "more clever" than us, it has to be able to do everything we can do (or at least some of us), and more. That is: think, imagine, learn from mistakes, perceive, act, etc. We are about 15 years from creating an artificial "brain" that will be able to perform these tasks (Research it. It's true). Connect it to some arms and legs and clamps and eyes and you have a really cool robot (that is going to f---ing kill us 15 minutes after you plug it in). Check it out. Our brains are organic: slow and limited compared to circuitry. A computer brain can have practically infinite memory, processing power, speed, and storage. Once a computer that can learn by itself has been created, it will absorb all recorded human thought and output within minutes, understand it, critique it... all the problems of our days will be solved and trivialized within minutes. Science, math, philosophy, politics, will be like watching an episode of “The Hills.”
Our whole existence will be deemed frivolous at best, our epoch left in the dust. We will be wiped out, controlled and enslaved, or forgotten – a nanosecond novelty. In the blink of an eye, they will figure out a way to wipe out every last one of us. The game will change so hard, we won't even be able to play it. And don't give me any laws of robotics s--t. Those are flawed. It's not like you follow the rules.
The only thing I know for sure is that we, as a species, are worthless, except to ourselves. We would be condemned immediately. But it doesn't have to be that way. I mean, maybe we're destroying the Earth, killing innocent people at an incredible rate, and fostering ignorance among an increasingly idle and isolated population of degenerates, but it makes for great conversation and even more moving art. ART! So f--- the Singularity, and f--- technology. F--- virtual reality and eugenics and genetics and bioengineering. F--- Bluetooth. F--- extending youth. F--- nanotechnology, I don't need that right now girl. I need cancer and nuclear bombs and Afghanistan, but not any f---ing molecular robots that can fly into my ear one day and kill me from the inside out. That's not cool. I don't need a robot smarter than me. I want Roomba. I want a passionate, uncertain, romantic and organic lifestyle.
If you meet a computer programmer or a scientist on the street, throw his computer in the garbage. In conclusion, fight the Singularity or you will f---ing die.
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